"Sitting in utkatasana, navel deep in water, insert a tube into the anus and contract the anus. This cleansing with water is called basti karma." (Hatha Yoga Pradipika - Verse 26, Chapter 2)
I began 2011 with a 3 session colonic hydrotherapy course, performed by a professional. The results were phenomenal. I had suffered from excess wind after eating *everything*, thought I had food intolerances, bloated when eating, just feeling that eating in general was a real bind, because the after effects were just hideous, ruining my social life and making me generally miserable.
I had my first colonic after Christmas. I felt amazing afterwards. My skin glowed, I could think more clearly, remembering more and felt more fluent in my speech. My 'wind' problem completely disappeared, the sole reason for me trying colonics.
I didn't realise until recently that colonic hydrotherapy was an ancient yogic cleansing technique which they called a 'kriya' and part of 'shatkarma' which is essentially cleansing the body from impurities before the beginning of asana, or yogic postures.
The HYP states that the by practising 'Basti' the appetite increases, the body glows, excess doshas are destroyed and the dhatu, senses and mind are purified. It completely washes the bowel and removes excess bacteria, old stool, threadworms and heat from the lower intestines. Most importantly it pushes apana vayu upward. Basti cures digestive disorders and is particularly effective in removing constipation, stimulating sluggish digestion, controlling nervous diarrhoea and strengthening the solar plexus. When the body is purified the chemical constitutions are in balanced proportion and the brain functions are simultaneously influenced and altered. when the body is pure the mind becomes stable, emotional reactions to external stimuli are altered and you will respond in a more relaxed manner.
I had my now *yearly* christmas / new year colonic yesterday and feel equally as good. I know it's probably not for everyone, although I always go on about it and probably in the most inappropriate of circumstances. i.e at the dinner table, but I confess... I'm a huge fan!
As a side effect, the colonic cleanse is an aid to kickstarting a more healthy diet and lifestyle for a lot of people. This year I gave up eating cheese and meat and it made a massive difference to my digestion. I recently started back on both but can feel the difference immediately and so I need to make tat choice again, to look after my colon. I don't care what anyone says, the colon is unbelievably important overall bodily and mental health, I completely believe in this. If you have any digestive problems just Google 'colonics' or 'yeast infections' or 'candida' and you may be amazed. I'll leave it there. I'm not saying it'll be great for everyone but if you have an issue that is ruling or ruining your life, then wouldn't you want to try everything to make that issue better?
Even if it means sitting in the middle of the Ganges with a piece of bamboo stuck up your arse??!!!! (I joke.. :)
Saturday, 31 December 2011
The wonder that I feel is easy, Yet ease is cause of wonder...
My new daily yoga practice has brought to me such gifts within the past two weeks. Every day goes by and I practice. Whilst I practice I hardly notice what is going on second to second, but then something happens between those seconds which alerts me. This week I have experienced the revelation, the key to the konasanas, and it may be, but is too early to tell, the key to forward bends in general (I have not yet had chance to explore further, next practise maybe).
So I was told by my teacher D that in Baddha Konasana, the one where you lean forward, the key is to curl your tailbone under and reach forward with your belly. I've been trying this for weeks now and it has definately worked for me, getting me deeper into the posture. Yet yesterday, as I was reaching forward not getting much deeper with the tail bone instruction, I engaged the anal muscles and pushed the anus down into the mat and..... OMG.
"Moolabandha 'The Master Key'" by Swami Buddhananda, described the anatomical aspects of what I found. He calls is Ashwini mudra, the anal area including the sphincter, ani externus and levitator any which consists of the pubococcygenus, iliococcygeus and puborectalis, i.e.. the anal muscles are contracted. So it wasn't the whole moolabanda that needed engaging this time but Ashwini mudra! What a subtle difference but an amazing one! I then tried it whilst in the sitting straight up baddha konasana and my knees immediately touched the floor and upavistha konasana and I held my chest towards the floor without having to hold the feet.
The contraction of the anal muscles (ashwini mudra) immediately resulted in the realisation of apana vayu in the body, grounding the body but at the same time samana vayu (the vayu that unifies the two opposite forces of prana vayu and apana) elevated the heart upwards from the navel resulting in the lengthening of the spine. The two opposing forces were balanced for that moment.
I don't want to say much more because I'l love you to try it for yourselves and let me know what you think. But what I would like to say is that sometimes over-thinking postures can hold you back from, well, realisation I guess, and sometimes the ease of the posture that is the essence of Patanjali's yoga lies within the gaps between these thoughts...
... in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea (Litlle Gidding, T.S.Eliot)
So I was told by my teacher D that in Baddha Konasana, the one where you lean forward, the key is to curl your tailbone under and reach forward with your belly. I've been trying this for weeks now and it has definately worked for me, getting me deeper into the posture. Yet yesterday, as I was reaching forward not getting much deeper with the tail bone instruction, I engaged the anal muscles and pushed the anus down into the mat and..... OMG.
"Moolabandha 'The Master Key'" by Swami Buddhananda, described the anatomical aspects of what I found. He calls is Ashwini mudra, the anal area including the sphincter, ani externus and levitator any which consists of the pubococcygenus, iliococcygeus and puborectalis, i.e.. the anal muscles are contracted. So it wasn't the whole moolabanda that needed engaging this time but Ashwini mudra! What a subtle difference but an amazing one! I then tried it whilst in the sitting straight up baddha konasana and my knees immediately touched the floor and upavistha konasana and I held my chest towards the floor without having to hold the feet.
The contraction of the anal muscles (ashwini mudra) immediately resulted in the realisation of apana vayu in the body, grounding the body but at the same time samana vayu (the vayu that unifies the two opposite forces of prana vayu and apana) elevated the heart upwards from the navel resulting in the lengthening of the spine. The two opposing forces were balanced for that moment.
I don't want to say much more because I'l love you to try it for yourselves and let me know what you think. But what I would like to say is that sometimes over-thinking postures can hold you back from, well, realisation I guess, and sometimes the ease of the posture that is the essence of Patanjali's yoga lies within the gaps between these thoughts...
... in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea (Litlle Gidding, T.S.Eliot)
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
In need of some shatkarma...
Oh my, I'm so full and have been for days.... why do we feel like we should eat soooo much at Christmas?! Yesterday I only had something small but it literally just filled me right back up to where I was Christmas day approximately 7pm....
I can't even bind my ankles in supta kurmasana.
The good thing is that my morning practice has not been let to slip. Oh no. This is it now, baby, forever...never question your decision to practice. It teaches you a lot. Make the commitment. You want practice to be harder? Eat and drink more, do it later in the day even, make it really hard for yourself! Punish yourself!! ..........I can't do it, just can't. I've punished myself too much over the years. Not now I've made this commitment to myself. To God? It's not going to be let to slip. The difference it has made already, in such a short period of time is too important to let go.
I need some shatkarma, kriya, some basti - colonic irrigation!!! That should sort me out!
I can't even bind my ankles in supta kurmasana.
The good thing is that my morning practice has not been let to slip. Oh no. This is it now, baby, forever...never question your decision to practice. It teaches you a lot. Make the commitment. You want practice to be harder? Eat and drink more, do it later in the day even, make it really hard for yourself! Punish yourself!! ..........I can't do it, just can't. I've punished myself too much over the years. Not now I've made this commitment to myself. To God? It's not going to be let to slip. The difference it has made already, in such a short period of time is too important to let go.
I need some shatkarma, kriya, some basti - colonic irrigation!!! That should sort me out!
Friday, 23 December 2011
The end of "dabbling" - 10 reasons to practice traditional Mysore style yoga!
Last Wednesday I decided that Thursday morning I'd get up at 5am and practice the full primary series. I can't even remember now what state of mind I was in when I made this decision, had I had a moment of insanity??! Nevertheless, I did it, set my alarm for 5am, got up, had a cup of tea, had a shower and hit the mat.
I guess that something in my life had to change. My practice has mainly been in the evenings for the past four years, but with me now teaching as well as cooking, doing paintings and yoga homework, watching Come Dine With Me etc etc, my evenings were ridiculously busy, leaving little time for any other life pursuits. I have been thinking to myself recently and for a while it seems, "Why not try an early morning practice?" But I didn't even entertain it until Wednesday.
Isn't it funny how sometimes you have to catch yourself at the right moment? You know?
And it seems that I caught myself at exactly the right moment, when it WAS going to work for me and I've now maintained the 5am start for a week, a whole week! It's a bit momentous I have to say, I'm still quite taken aback by the ease of my commitment, but all I can say is that it MUST have been exactly the right time to do this. BTW it has been found that people are more likely to keep up a change of habit, e.g. quit smoking, if they just do it and do not wait until a certain date, for instance the 1st January.
The other thing is I haven't even been practicing 6 days a week. I know, I know, what kind of yogi am I?!!
But again, it was just fitting it in! I've also been blaming it on getting back to fitness..my knee injury and all that... I've been practicing 3-4 days a week since about April to let my knee repair. 6 has always seemed a bit excessive....for my knee!
No more excuses.
I have realised recently that I hate people making poor excuses not to do things. Especially things that are without a doubt are going to benefit them. I think it annoys me so much because I used to be one of those people and now I'm overly aware when I meet those with the same excuses. I'm not saying I'm perfect, I know I'm not, but I am aware that I have to make changes to benefit my life.
In the words of the Editors, "If something needs to change then it always will". People should make the changes if and when they need to be made. I know it's sometimes easy to say it, but take the chances when they arrive, and when the time is right to make the changes you will know and the best thing is, is that it will be amazingly easy!! JUST DO IT!
So, back to my practice. This week has been awesome. I've learned a lot about myself in just one little week. I have discipline when I thought I did not. I am a morning person. I'm not completely stiff in the mornings. I enjoy going to bed early!
I thought I'd try and find 10 reasons to practice early morning Mysore style ashtanga yoga. (There might be more, there might be less, let us see...)
1. You have more time in the evenings to do other pursuits as you don't have your practice to think about.
2. You will feel energised for the day's work.
3. It gives a focus to your day which you will always achieve.
4. You will feel a sense of achievement even before your "normal" day begins.
5. You will change other aspects of your life so that your practice is easier, for example, eating earlier and different foods, getting more rest, running less after money, indulging less, basically being more mindful and watchful.
6. You will become less lazy. (Contraversial?)
7. It will increase your ability to make other commitments.
8. It makes you more grateful that you can practice every day.
9. You will actually be able to listen to the World Service and shipping forecast. (Clutching at straws here?) (But I like it :)
10. You are more likely to catch a beautiful sunrise........ (My favourite reason) x
I guess that something in my life had to change. My practice has mainly been in the evenings for the past four years, but with me now teaching as well as cooking, doing paintings and yoga homework, watching Come Dine With Me etc etc, my evenings were ridiculously busy, leaving little time for any other life pursuits. I have been thinking to myself recently and for a while it seems, "Why not try an early morning practice?" But I didn't even entertain it until Wednesday.
Isn't it funny how sometimes you have to catch yourself at the right moment? You know?
And it seems that I caught myself at exactly the right moment, when it WAS going to work for me and I've now maintained the 5am start for a week, a whole week! It's a bit momentous I have to say, I'm still quite taken aback by the ease of my commitment, but all I can say is that it MUST have been exactly the right time to do this. BTW it has been found that people are more likely to keep up a change of habit, e.g. quit smoking, if they just do it and do not wait until a certain date, for instance the 1st January.
The other thing is I haven't even been practicing 6 days a week. I know, I know, what kind of yogi am I?!!
But again, it was just fitting it in! I've also been blaming it on getting back to fitness..my knee injury and all that... I've been practicing 3-4 days a week since about April to let my knee repair. 6 has always seemed a bit excessive....for my knee!
No more excuses.
I have realised recently that I hate people making poor excuses not to do things. Especially things that are without a doubt are going to benefit them. I think it annoys me so much because I used to be one of those people and now I'm overly aware when I meet those with the same excuses. I'm not saying I'm perfect, I know I'm not, but I am aware that I have to make changes to benefit my life.
In the words of the Editors, "If something needs to change then it always will". People should make the changes if and when they need to be made. I know it's sometimes easy to say it, but take the chances when they arrive, and when the time is right to make the changes you will know and the best thing is, is that it will be amazingly easy!! JUST DO IT!
So, back to my practice. This week has been awesome. I've learned a lot about myself in just one little week. I have discipline when I thought I did not. I am a morning person. I'm not completely stiff in the mornings. I enjoy going to bed early!
I thought I'd try and find 10 reasons to practice early morning Mysore style ashtanga yoga. (There might be more, there might be less, let us see...)
1. You have more time in the evenings to do other pursuits as you don't have your practice to think about.
2. You will feel energised for the day's work.
3. It gives a focus to your day which you will always achieve.
4. You will feel a sense of achievement even before your "normal" day begins.
5. You will change other aspects of your life so that your practice is easier, for example, eating earlier and different foods, getting more rest, running less after money, indulging less, basically being more mindful and watchful.
6. You will become less lazy. (Contraversial?)
7. It will increase your ability to make other commitments.
8. It makes you more grateful that you can practice every day.
9. You will actually be able to listen to the World Service and shipping forecast. (Clutching at straws here?) (But I like it :)
10. You are more likely to catch a beautiful sunrise........ (My favourite reason) x
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Reviled to revered... 10 steps to dropping back
A year ago, if there was one posture which I would do as quickly and pathetically as possible was my backbend.
And hope that my teacher wasn't watching....
Yesterday I dropped back from standing, on my own, for the first time (According to D!) And it felt gooood! I've been working on dropping back for a relatively short amount of time, so I'm amazed at the progress I've made with back bending. In fact it's probably taken 15 practices (with a teacher) to get to this stage, which again, I find amazing, seeing as my back bending felt so alien, so recently.
So what's made the difference? I'd put it down to these points:
1. Pushing the pubic bone toward the ceiling in preparatory backbends.
2. Straightening the legs in prep backbends to strengthen/"switch on" the quads
3. Pushing the knees forward over the feet on the way up to gain a fuller arch and to create more work (in prep bbs)
4. When dropping back pushing the pelvis as far forward as you can before lifting the sternum and ripping back
5. Curling the tailbone under as much as you can as you drop
6. Lift out from the pelvis and upwards to maintain the arch as opposed to just bending from one point of the back (usually the lumbar region)
7. Imagine you are holding a pea in your navel when dropping back (whilst doing all of the above ;)
8. Lift your heels very slightly, to remove the fear of your feet sliding out from under you
9. Practice with walking your hands down the back of your legs, you'll be amazed at how quickly you will reach your ankles
9. Once you reach your ankles, push into your legs and toes, release hands and drop into place.
10. To come up, push away with an exhale, come up on an inhale, draw your arms down towards your thighs and keep your head back until your body is vertical.
Practice this and, to coin a phrase, "all is coming" ;)
And hope that my teacher wasn't watching....
Yesterday I dropped back from standing, on my own, for the first time (According to D!) And it felt gooood! I've been working on dropping back for a relatively short amount of time, so I'm amazed at the progress I've made with back bending. In fact it's probably taken 15 practices (with a teacher) to get to this stage, which again, I find amazing, seeing as my back bending felt so alien, so recently.
So what's made the difference? I'd put it down to these points:
1. Pushing the pubic bone toward the ceiling in preparatory backbends.
2. Straightening the legs in prep backbends to strengthen/"switch on" the quads
3. Pushing the knees forward over the feet on the way up to gain a fuller arch and to create more work (in prep bbs)
4. When dropping back pushing the pelvis as far forward as you can before lifting the sternum and ripping back
5. Curling the tailbone under as much as you can as you drop
6. Lift out from the pelvis and upwards to maintain the arch as opposed to just bending from one point of the back (usually the lumbar region)
7. Imagine you are holding a pea in your navel when dropping back (whilst doing all of the above ;)
8. Lift your heels very slightly, to remove the fear of your feet sliding out from under you
9. Practice with walking your hands down the back of your legs, you'll be amazed at how quickly you will reach your ankles
9. Once you reach your ankles, push into your legs and toes, release hands and drop into place.
10. To come up, push away with an exhale, come up on an inhale, draw your arms down towards your thighs and keep your head back until your body is vertical.
Practice this and, to coin a phrase, "all is coming" ;)
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Paths of least resistance...
I truly believe that people find their ways into your life to serve a purpose for something or other, but ultimately to teach you. You might even not know what role they have to play straight away, it may be a while or it might be instantaneous, nevertheless, the reasons became apparent at some point, sometimes long after they've gone.
My yoga practice has given me a heightened awareness of when these people arrive. The ones who came ages ago, who didn't have too far to go (on their own journeys) have stayed, I held onto them... I cherish them. As every day goes by and life happens around me, sometimes my dreams go stale, these people awaken those dreams, bring me back to the present and breathe life back into me. When I was 30 a friend told me to make a five year plan, I was a bit lost and needed some guidance. I made the plan and I'm a few years in now, a couple of years to go. I kinda forgot what the plan consisted of, it involved my job, painting more, doing the BWY course and culminating in travelling to Mysore. I met someone at the weekend who re-kindled the smouldering ashes of my want to travel again and so I've decided to start planning. I'm intensely excited!
The path of least resistance would see me go to Boulder, Colorado to practice with Richard Freeman, or to Byron Bay to practice, chill and surf (if I knew how!) and hang out in the sunshine. My ego is trying so hard to drag me away from the smell, grime and illness of India, but I know that this has to be the first stop!! Nothing really worth doing is ever easy.
So on the topic of paths of least resistance, my yoga practice is becoming easy and this is never good. "Switch on the lights of the pose" says Freeman, to stop the body from falling into too familiar paths. It's good to practice under the guidance of a teacher when this begins to happen as they start to spot when you're being lazy. It's frickin' hilarious too, catching yourself or being caught, being naughty in class, missing out postures or not engaging bandha, it reminds me of how many muscles I have, how human I am!!
I love my practice at the moment, I love life and all who share it with me.
My yoga practice has given me a heightened awareness of when these people arrive. The ones who came ages ago, who didn't have too far to go (on their own journeys) have stayed, I held onto them... I cherish them. As every day goes by and life happens around me, sometimes my dreams go stale, these people awaken those dreams, bring me back to the present and breathe life back into me. When I was 30 a friend told me to make a five year plan, I was a bit lost and needed some guidance. I made the plan and I'm a few years in now, a couple of years to go. I kinda forgot what the plan consisted of, it involved my job, painting more, doing the BWY course and culminating in travelling to Mysore. I met someone at the weekend who re-kindled the smouldering ashes of my want to travel again and so I've decided to start planning. I'm intensely excited!
The path of least resistance would see me go to Boulder, Colorado to practice with Richard Freeman, or to Byron Bay to practice, chill and surf (if I knew how!) and hang out in the sunshine. My ego is trying so hard to drag me away from the smell, grime and illness of India, but I know that this has to be the first stop!! Nothing really worth doing is ever easy.
So on the topic of paths of least resistance, my yoga practice is becoming easy and this is never good. "Switch on the lights of the pose" says Freeman, to stop the body from falling into too familiar paths. It's good to practice under the guidance of a teacher when this begins to happen as they start to spot when you're being lazy. It's frickin' hilarious too, catching yourself or being caught, being naughty in class, missing out postures or not engaging bandha, it reminds me of how many muscles I have, how human I am!!
I love my practice at the moment, I love life and all who share it with me.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Bakasana to chaturanga - done!
Again, it's been weeks since I posted... however, I don't feel so bad as I didn't have that much to say about the practice, but have been practicing a lot lately and really seeing some improvement.
I was practicing at home a lot over the past few months, but the motivation began to lack and I took myself off to a couple of new Mysore style classes I found at Stone Monkey Yoga & Cafe in Leamington. Digby the owner of the studio does one on a Monday straight after work, which is my perfect time, just what I need. I enjoy learning new techniques and tips from new teachers, albeit if sometimes they contradict other teachers' teachings! So I'm like doing, Monday with Ervin, Tuesday assisting Ervin, Wed with Digby, Thursday teaching my own new class, Friday with James and Sunday with Ben (Flowright.me). I love all of their teaching!!
One great tip which I hadn't heard before was given to mr by James in Birmingham (Buddhist Centre) on Friday, to assist in the transition from bakasana to chaturanga. I've spent the past 4 years being able to do bakasana no problem, but trying to lift my bottom to shoot back into chaturanga had eluded me! I just fell off like a lump onto the mat! Anyway, James explained it was all in the arms and that you have to just bend the arms and let you legs flop back. And it worked! I seriously couldn't believe it and screamed out in pleasure! James then told me to do it again and filmed me, and I did it again! It wasn't a lfuke! Yay!
Anyway, so this is my new favourite posture now! ;) And, funnily enough it has helped with my jump backs from sitting too! Amazing! I'm finally getting somewhere!
Another good thing about having 4 Mysore classes a week to go to now is that I get assisted drop backs 4 times a week, so really seeing a huge improvement with them.
So, really loving it at the moment, I have no time to anything else (apart from work) but loving every minute!! Ha ha!
I was practicing at home a lot over the past few months, but the motivation began to lack and I took myself off to a couple of new Mysore style classes I found at Stone Monkey Yoga & Cafe in Leamington. Digby the owner of the studio does one on a Monday straight after work, which is my perfect time, just what I need. I enjoy learning new techniques and tips from new teachers, albeit if sometimes they contradict other teachers' teachings! So I'm like doing, Monday with Ervin, Tuesday assisting Ervin, Wed with Digby, Thursday teaching my own new class, Friday with James and Sunday with Ben (Flowright.me). I love all of their teaching!!
One great tip which I hadn't heard before was given to mr by James in Birmingham (Buddhist Centre) on Friday, to assist in the transition from bakasana to chaturanga. I've spent the past 4 years being able to do bakasana no problem, but trying to lift my bottom to shoot back into chaturanga had eluded me! I just fell off like a lump onto the mat! Anyway, James explained it was all in the arms and that you have to just bend the arms and let you legs flop back. And it worked! I seriously couldn't believe it and screamed out in pleasure! James then told me to do it again and filmed me, and I did it again! It wasn't a lfuke! Yay!
Anyway, so this is my new favourite posture now! ;) And, funnily enough it has helped with my jump backs from sitting too! Amazing! I'm finally getting somewhere!
Another good thing about having 4 Mysore classes a week to go to now is that I get assisted drop backs 4 times a week, so really seeing a huge improvement with them.
So, really loving it at the moment, I have no time to anything else (apart from work) but loving every minute!! Ha ha!
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
My new favourite bandha
OMG - I've just realised I haven't blogged for like 5 weeks. I hate myself already... But...I've got a good excuse, I've been renovating my house, 2 rooms at the same time, full overhaul, plastering, painting, the works, it's taken up so much more time than I originally thought, (and money), but I'm nearly finished now, just soft furnishings to do....TG.
Luckily, one of the rooms in my new yoga shala! So much more room, no cracks or imperfections in the wals to distract me from the practice, just a beautiful white room with wooden floor...bliss. My new bedroom is just the same, perfect white walls and ceiling, white carpet, japanese style bedroom furniture and minimalism...ZEN. Love it.
But I have been practicing, and I've so missed blogging.
My practice has been great recently. Loving it, as being so busy it really is a retreat from the stresses that surround me. I treated myself to a Liz Lark workshop run by Stone Monkey Yoga Cafe in Leamington last Sunday, it was fab, but I'm still feeling it today! Such a lovely woman, teacher and inspiration. I haven't been on any female yoga workshops, so this was a first, and I loved it. Very feminine, yet strong. She introduced pada bandha as one of her key concepts for grounding. I've read a little bit about it, in Mark Stephen's book on Teaching Yoga, but not found anything elsewhere, although it may be being taught more subtely elsewhere. Anyway, it's my new favourite bandha. The grounding you achieve from engaging the pada bandha is unbelievable. Utthita hasta pandangustasana was a breeze....backbendng taken to another dimension....
All by engaging the big toe and little toe and heel; try to lift the 3 toes in between to feel the connection, then place them back down on the floor. The magic triangle of big toe, little toe and heel was just amazing. I think what it does is engages the inner seam of the leg so that the upper thigh medially rotates (rotates inwards) giving your whole leg the strength it requires, instead of balancing on the ouer edge of the foot which I used to feel happened a lot.
I've been practicing lifting the 3 toes inbetween ever since and have mastered it! I tried it whilst dropping back on Monday and whilst before my feet would almost come off the floor when dropping back, this time with the pada engaged, I felt completely grounded, like the feet weren't going anywhere! The backbend also felt amazing because of it. Soooo good!
So thank you Liz, you've really inspired me and brought another dimension to my practice.! xx
Luckily, one of the rooms in my new yoga shala! So much more room, no cracks or imperfections in the wals to distract me from the practice, just a beautiful white room with wooden floor...bliss. My new bedroom is just the same, perfect white walls and ceiling, white carpet, japanese style bedroom furniture and minimalism...ZEN. Love it.
But I have been practicing, and I've so missed blogging.
My practice has been great recently. Loving it, as being so busy it really is a retreat from the stresses that surround me. I treated myself to a Liz Lark workshop run by Stone Monkey Yoga Cafe in Leamington last Sunday, it was fab, but I'm still feeling it today! Such a lovely woman, teacher and inspiration. I haven't been on any female yoga workshops, so this was a first, and I loved it. Very feminine, yet strong. She introduced pada bandha as one of her key concepts for grounding. I've read a little bit about it, in Mark Stephen's book on Teaching Yoga, but not found anything elsewhere, although it may be being taught more subtely elsewhere. Anyway, it's my new favourite bandha. The grounding you achieve from engaging the pada bandha is unbelievable. Utthita hasta pandangustasana was a breeze....backbendng taken to another dimension....
All by engaging the big toe and little toe and heel; try to lift the 3 toes in between to feel the connection, then place them back down on the floor. The magic triangle of big toe, little toe and heel was just amazing. I think what it does is engages the inner seam of the leg so that the upper thigh medially rotates (rotates inwards) giving your whole leg the strength it requires, instead of balancing on the ouer edge of the foot which I used to feel happened a lot.
I've been practicing lifting the 3 toes inbetween ever since and have mastered it! I tried it whilst dropping back on Monday and whilst before my feet would almost come off the floor when dropping back, this time with the pada engaged, I felt completely grounded, like the feet weren't going anywhere! The backbend also felt amazing because of it. Soooo good!
So thank you Liz, you've really inspired me and brought another dimension to my practice.! xx
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Ashtanga and visualisation
I've been meaning to post on this topic for a while now, but haven't got round to it. More recently I've also been doing a bit of renovation of the house, sorting out the guest bedroom and turning the dining room into a yoga practice space, which has involved selling all of the furniture in it... Sorry Mum, dinner round yours from now on, yeah?!!
Anyway, I'm de-cluttering my life...who needs all of this stuff anyway? Guess it'd be different if I had a family, but I don't, so, out it goes, dinner table and chairs, electric fire place, dining room paintings, the list goes on! I can't wait to post picture of the before and after :o)
SO I haven't practiced for a week due to chaos and my friend's wedding, but today's practice in the midst of dust and crap was suprisingly great. My body was uber flexible and I suprised myself as I got a really deep (head to shin) forward bend in the first surynamaskara. Now, I've never experienced this before, especially after a week off, but I'm putting it down to extra oestrogen, courtesy of the time of the month... Funny how the body changes isn't it? I can't even predict how my body will be anymore, I've even become allergic to sanitary products recently, how strange is that?! It's amazing, if something needs to change, it will find a way of telling you...
Anyway, so back to ashtanga and visualisation. I first realised the power of visualisation when I returned from my Portugal retreat and started to slow my practice down, to try to *really* heal my knees. In all the seated postures which previously aggravated them, I started to really go inside the joints which were working and try and feel where the tension was, where it needed releasing, where the *work* was going on and where it wasn't. By doing this, I realised that I could concentrate the *work* into the joint away from the knee. So, for example, in the Mari sequence I focussed on the hip working, instead of pressing the knee and strangely enough the work went to the hip and not the knee and low and behold, the hips started to release and the pain disappeared from the knee.......
The other way I've noticed visualisation working for me has also come from the teaching in Portugal. I was given assists, particularly in trikonoasana and parsvakonasana and the warriors. The assists were so-called 'resistance assists' where you'd push a part of your body into the hand or other part of the teacher's body, ultimately so that this would act as a lever to open your body up in a particular way (I've also seen this taught by Brian Cooper). For instance, in trikonasana, the teacher would ask you to press your outstretched hand into their solid hand which would open your chest... Once your body realises where it should be, you can visualise and recreate the pressing into an imaginary hand and you will get the same effect... something I have found really simple but quite amazing! Have a go and let me know what you think!
Anyway, I'm de-cluttering my life...who needs all of this stuff anyway? Guess it'd be different if I had a family, but I don't, so, out it goes, dinner table and chairs, electric fire place, dining room paintings, the list goes on! I can't wait to post picture of the before and after :o)
SO I haven't practiced for a week due to chaos and my friend's wedding, but today's practice in the midst of dust and crap was suprisingly great. My body was uber flexible and I suprised myself as I got a really deep (head to shin) forward bend in the first surynamaskara. Now, I've never experienced this before, especially after a week off, but I'm putting it down to extra oestrogen, courtesy of the time of the month... Funny how the body changes isn't it? I can't even predict how my body will be anymore, I've even become allergic to sanitary products recently, how strange is that?! It's amazing, if something needs to change, it will find a way of telling you...
Anyway, so back to ashtanga and visualisation. I first realised the power of visualisation when I returned from my Portugal retreat and started to slow my practice down, to try to *really* heal my knees. In all the seated postures which previously aggravated them, I started to really go inside the joints which were working and try and feel where the tension was, where it needed releasing, where the *work* was going on and where it wasn't. By doing this, I realised that I could concentrate the *work* into the joint away from the knee. So, for example, in the Mari sequence I focussed on the hip working, instead of pressing the knee and strangely enough the work went to the hip and not the knee and low and behold, the hips started to release and the pain disappeared from the knee.......
The other way I've noticed visualisation working for me has also come from the teaching in Portugal. I was given assists, particularly in trikonoasana and parsvakonasana and the warriors. The assists were so-called 'resistance assists' where you'd push a part of your body into the hand or other part of the teacher's body, ultimately so that this would act as a lever to open your body up in a particular way (I've also seen this taught by Brian Cooper). For instance, in trikonasana, the teacher would ask you to press your outstretched hand into their solid hand which would open your chest... Once your body realises where it should be, you can visualise and recreate the pressing into an imaginary hand and you will get the same effect... something I have found really simple but quite amazing! Have a go and let me know what you think!
Thursday, 11 August 2011
The posterior Stretch with Ramaswami and other stuff...!
It's been a while since I posted but have done a load of home practice since then. I'm also back to my Friday Self practice class with J at the Buddhist Centre Birmingham, my teacher V's teacher and it feels great. V's away at the moment, has been for 3 weeks, so it's been ALL home practice apart from the resurrected Friday.
I have however taken over one of V's own classes in the week whilst he's away; I've done 3 so far and the numbers are growing every week which is really good news, kinda makes me think I must be doing something right! Yay! It's great for my own practice too, as I feel as if I have to practice in a way, especially immediately before class, in order to get focused and centred in order to to be able to teach exactly what I know. So my home practice has been boosted to 6 days a week.. the day off normally depends on energy, but is normally the Saturday or Sunday. I'm generally practicing straight after work too, like literally, coming home, having a cup of tea and straight on the mat. This takes me up til about 7:30, then I can make food, relax and do other stuff. I'm loving it :) Had some great news today...they're trialing home working, and given the speed I work at this could leave a lot of time in the morning to be able to do my practice and take my time, with no rush to get to work, park the car etc.. fab news, and my name is already down on the list! It also means cooking will be easier and more structured, two good meals a day, planned and executed and enjoyed!
SO anyway...my practice... today I've done ashtanga up to the seated sequence then had my first go at Ramaswami's seated posterior stretch sequence from the Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga. I have to say that it was so much easier than the last sequence (asymmetric) that I practiced. I actually made it to the end of this sequence..not without a struggle mind you! I have to say that my work on padmasana is reaping me benefits...many more than I would've believed. This has changed my mind about padmasana being taught in the primary series... I've read a lot that this is an advanced posture which beginners should not practice, and I can understand why, cos of the unopen hips and the subsequent strain on the knee. However, you must persist with it to be able to do a lot in the 2nd series, in fact you must persist to do the kurmasana and konasana sequences in the primary. I think once you have padmasana under your belt then a lot more postures are open to you. The posterior sequence is great for the leg behind the head practice too.. my hips felt sufficently stretched (esp the posterior section) and I was amazed at how quickly and easily I managed a deep kurmasana and supta k, without doing the whole of the ashtanga seated sequence. I have to say that I can now get the leg behind the neck, still working on how to hold it there, training the hip muscles, but at least they've found their way :)
I did the whole of the posterior sequence then went on to finish with back bending. My back bending after all that forward stretching was difficult, purvottanasana was even further away than normal after doing all the forward bending, including kurmasama! Wow.. hard stuff.
But it did seem to open the hips a lot in prep for the back bending. I've been taking Richard Freeman's advice pushing up in the back bend just above the pubic bone, which has made an unbelievable difference..I feel as if I'm propelling my pelvis to the ceiling, feeling so high off the ground, such a great feeling. I'm even dropping to my forearms on the third back bend to prepare for kapotasana, trying to free up the inside of the forearms and strengthen the front of the shoulders, although Kapo is so far away.........
I'm loving my practice at the moment, not one bit seems to be a chore :)
I have however taken over one of V's own classes in the week whilst he's away; I've done 3 so far and the numbers are growing every week which is really good news, kinda makes me think I must be doing something right! Yay! It's great for my own practice too, as I feel as if I have to practice in a way, especially immediately before class, in order to get focused and centred in order to to be able to teach exactly what I know. So my home practice has been boosted to 6 days a week.. the day off normally depends on energy, but is normally the Saturday or Sunday. I'm generally practicing straight after work too, like literally, coming home, having a cup of tea and straight on the mat. This takes me up til about 7:30, then I can make food, relax and do other stuff. I'm loving it :) Had some great news today...they're trialing home working, and given the speed I work at this could leave a lot of time in the morning to be able to do my practice and take my time, with no rush to get to work, park the car etc.. fab news, and my name is already down on the list! It also means cooking will be easier and more structured, two good meals a day, planned and executed and enjoyed!
SO anyway...my practice... today I've done ashtanga up to the seated sequence then had my first go at Ramaswami's seated posterior stretch sequence from the Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga. I have to say that it was so much easier than the last sequence (asymmetric) that I practiced. I actually made it to the end of this sequence..not without a struggle mind you! I have to say that my work on padmasana is reaping me benefits...many more than I would've believed. This has changed my mind about padmasana being taught in the primary series... I've read a lot that this is an advanced posture which beginners should not practice, and I can understand why, cos of the unopen hips and the subsequent strain on the knee. However, you must persist with it to be able to do a lot in the 2nd series, in fact you must persist to do the kurmasana and konasana sequences in the primary. I think once you have padmasana under your belt then a lot more postures are open to you. The posterior sequence is great for the leg behind the head practice too.. my hips felt sufficently stretched (esp the posterior section) and I was amazed at how quickly and easily I managed a deep kurmasana and supta k, without doing the whole of the ashtanga seated sequence. I have to say that I can now get the leg behind the neck, still working on how to hold it there, training the hip muscles, but at least they've found their way :)
I did the whole of the posterior sequence then went on to finish with back bending. My back bending after all that forward stretching was difficult, purvottanasana was even further away than normal after doing all the forward bending, including kurmasama! Wow.. hard stuff.
But it did seem to open the hips a lot in prep for the back bending. I've been taking Richard Freeman's advice pushing up in the back bend just above the pubic bone, which has made an unbelievable difference..I feel as if I'm propelling my pelvis to the ceiling, feeling so high off the ground, such a great feeling. I'm even dropping to my forearms on the third back bend to prepare for kapotasana, trying to free up the inside of the forearms and strengthen the front of the shoulders, although Kapo is so far away.........
I'm loving my practice at the moment, not one bit seems to be a chore :)
Thursday, 4 August 2011
The importance of foundations..
This morning I practiced along with the Richard Freeman Primary Series DVD...with Richard in his lovely grey shorts against the oh-so-eighties blue and pink mountain-range backdrop (clip above)! Anyway, I haven't practiced with a DVD for a long time as I mostly self-practice and lately along with some music, such as stuff by Craig Pruess and other chants which sets a nice rhythm. However, I really enjoyed Richard's talk through and pickd up some lovely phrases and tips, especially one which clicked with me for the first time.
The cue to is whenever a leg is outstretched, so in samasthti, seated or lying postures, push away through the instep of the outstretched leg. I find this 'switches on the lights of the posture' (think is this actually a Freeman saying) by turning on more of the core muscles of the leg (don't ask me which ones!) which are important in keeping that 'strong' feeling and also stops the foot from rotating outwards.
I then thought, this also internally rotates the thighs slightly, which when bending forwards allows the sit bones to open more; this combined with scooping out the lower belly using uddiyana bandha allows for a really deep and comfortable forward bend.
The tip complements the cues I learnt in Portugal using spiral dynamics in downward dog. Slightly spiral the hands towards each other, almost imperceptibly; this externally rotates the arms so that the arm pits are turning to face each other; this then flattens the shoulderblades which are then free to slide down the back. I saw that I had a small curve in my thoracic spine in downward dog and by utilising this cue it irons out the curve perfectly. The little twinges I used to have in my right shoulder have also disappeared since using this technique, it's magic! Also, in downward dog, pushing into the instep slightly rotates the thighs towards the midline of the body to create space at the sacrem allowing you to push the tailbone to the sky! You just have to try it!
I think people underestimate the importance of the correct foundations and even now, 4 years from the beginnings of my practice, I find these techniques which have transformed my practice unbelievably! Every day I am amazed by the subtleties of a yoga practice!
Does anyone else find RF's 'lip licking' a bit off putting?! :)
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Assymetrical Seated Vinyasa Sequence as taught by Ramaswami (...well, not quite..!)
Today I decided to practice astanga up to the seated sequence, then give Ramaswami's Seated Vinyasa Sequence I shot, as I just felt like doing some sitting down!
This sequence works both sides of the body separately to help help correct any imbalances, so you follow a whole sequence on one side and then swap and do the same sequence using the other side. Ramaswami says inhis little intro that some Westerners are not particularly enthusiastic about doing seated postures, such as lotus, hero and tohers that involve the hips, knees and ankles, and I had a little chuckle to myself, cos that's been me for the past 4 years! Nevertheless, this sequence is ideally suited to safeguarding against an expanding waist line and 'bludgeoning thighs'!! So with this in mind I gave it a go!
The 'hub' pose for this sequence is dandasana, a difficult posture in its own right, although it appears an easy one when watched from the outside. Not only have I realised the importance of bandha in this posture but also 'switching on' the lower back at the same time to give that lift of the lumbar and thoracic spine and just how much work this involves. The next posture (niralamba dandasana) is for all intents and purposes dandasana but with the fingers interlaced and arms raised overhead to verticle and the chin locked, in a unsupprted dandasana. It's a lovely back stretch and you can see if your arms are far enough back and then adjust to get the correct alignment and after passing through a few of these, I began to really enjoy this stretch, although again, it's quite difficult.
The sequence begins with a variety of postures in marichiasana, which I'm obviously used to doing in my ashtanga practice, but man! WOW! Why did I find marichiasana so difficult without a bind!!! My hips did not like to be held in that position on their own, one little bit! It did make me laugh! Loved the different twisting versions, turning the torso away from the bent leg was a lovely stretch on the chest.
Not a fan of the counterpose for Mari though, like purvottanasana with one leg bent.. even with one leg bent it was difficult, and why didn't my posture look anything like the man in the book? I could not get my thighs parallel for love nor money!
Aaaah..but loving Matsyendrasana, could only do the bind on one side though which was disappointing but not surprising as I have a tight side which just showed up more in this posture.
The sequence then goes into a few postures which I am aware of from the Padmasana sequence, some variations of half-matsyendrasana in lotus were nice. But janusirasana with the twist of the chest towards the ceiling..omg... i have no length in my side muscles!! A great stretch but must be worked on!
I recognised the next 3 postures from the 2nd series of ashtanga. These were 'archer', kraunchasana and eka pada sirsasana. Archer wasn't far off but quite uncomfortable on one side and I don't know why.. Heron, which I thought I had no chance in, afetr all the preliminary postures, I amazed myself by getting the leg within a foot of my face - note to self - must remember the bandhas and lower back engagement in this one. I even then had a go at the elusive ekapada! The right hip not as loose as the left, but managed to get the leg behind the head to a certain extent on boht sides. This must be down to my progress in supta kurmasana, which I'm now holding for twice as long as normal and changing the leg on top half way through. But how on earth are you meant to keep your leg behind the head? My thighs felt like they were spring loaded and if I let go they shoot back into place taking my head with them! Funny... but progress nevetheless!
Anyway... so I got through half of the sequence more or less.. yes... only half.... but they are long sequences and the postures were just getting more difficult and I took myself to where I felt comfortable today, which is fine by me... honestly!
This sequence works both sides of the body separately to help help correct any imbalances, so you follow a whole sequence on one side and then swap and do the same sequence using the other side. Ramaswami says inhis little intro that some Westerners are not particularly enthusiastic about doing seated postures, such as lotus, hero and tohers that involve the hips, knees and ankles, and I had a little chuckle to myself, cos that's been me for the past 4 years! Nevertheless, this sequence is ideally suited to safeguarding against an expanding waist line and 'bludgeoning thighs'!! So with this in mind I gave it a go!
The 'hub' pose for this sequence is dandasana, a difficult posture in its own right, although it appears an easy one when watched from the outside. Not only have I realised the importance of bandha in this posture but also 'switching on' the lower back at the same time to give that lift of the lumbar and thoracic spine and just how much work this involves. The next posture (niralamba dandasana) is for all intents and purposes dandasana but with the fingers interlaced and arms raised overhead to verticle and the chin locked, in a unsupprted dandasana. It's a lovely back stretch and you can see if your arms are far enough back and then adjust to get the correct alignment and after passing through a few of these, I began to really enjoy this stretch, although again, it's quite difficult.
The sequence begins with a variety of postures in marichiasana, which I'm obviously used to doing in my ashtanga practice, but man! WOW! Why did I find marichiasana so difficult without a bind!!! My hips did not like to be held in that position on their own, one little bit! It did make me laugh! Loved the different twisting versions, turning the torso away from the bent leg was a lovely stretch on the chest.
Not a fan of the counterpose for Mari though, like purvottanasana with one leg bent.. even with one leg bent it was difficult, and why didn't my posture look anything like the man in the book? I could not get my thighs parallel for love nor money!
Aaaah..but loving Matsyendrasana, could only do the bind on one side though which was disappointing but not surprising as I have a tight side which just showed up more in this posture.
The sequence then goes into a few postures which I am aware of from the Padmasana sequence, some variations of half-matsyendrasana in lotus were nice. But janusirasana with the twist of the chest towards the ceiling..omg... i have no length in my side muscles!! A great stretch but must be worked on!
I recognised the next 3 postures from the 2nd series of ashtanga. These were 'archer', kraunchasana and eka pada sirsasana. Archer wasn't far off but quite uncomfortable on one side and I don't know why.. Heron, which I thought I had no chance in, afetr all the preliminary postures, I amazed myself by getting the leg within a foot of my face - note to self - must remember the bandhas and lower back engagement in this one. I even then had a go at the elusive ekapada! The right hip not as loose as the left, but managed to get the leg behind the head to a certain extent on boht sides. This must be down to my progress in supta kurmasana, which I'm now holding for twice as long as normal and changing the leg on top half way through. But how on earth are you meant to keep your leg behind the head? My thighs felt like they were spring loaded and if I let go they shoot back into place taking my head with them! Funny... but progress nevetheless!
Anyway... so I got through half of the sequence more or less.. yes... only half.... but they are long sequences and the postures were just getting more difficult and I took myself to where I felt comfortable today, which is fine by me... honestly!
Thursday, 21 July 2011
An Ashtanga Story by Norman Blair....a must read x
THE BOX
BEING INSIDE LOOKING OUTSIDE:
AN ASHTANGA STORY
by Norman Blair
I would like to present this piece in the spirit of compassion, co-operation and communication. My thanks to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Sharat Jois and all teachers who have developed this practice and helped me along this path. The purpose of writing is to encourage debate and dialogue amongst practitioners. Some of what is written might be controversial but this is not a rocking of the boat simply for the sake of provocation. If I see an elephant in the room it needs to be said – even if that elephant is Ganesh. This is a heartfelt attempt towards understanding this tradition and the possibilities for transformation.
ONE DAY MANY YEARS AGO
There are endless beginnings: one beginning is a morning in March 1963 when I took my first breath (it was an inhale). Another beginning was a day in 1973 when a young American called David Williams turned up at a house in Mysore to ask its inhabitant – a Brahmin in his late 50s called Sri K. Pattabhi Jois – to teach him yoga. I was 10 years old: I imagine myself happily playing in short trousers without too many worries. David Williams was 23 years old and on a mission not only to find himself but also to discover a source of living long life. He had been inspired by stories of Indian yoga practitioners who did miraculous feats and lived forever and while travelling in India he came across a demonstration of physical prowess by a yogi called Manju Jois. Manju’s father was his teacher – hence the journey to Mysore.
This has been a journey subsequently followed by tens of thousands in search of…well something: something that might be variously described as a place of peace, a well of insights, a way of health. After months of intense study with Pattabhi Jois – which included 2 ½ hours of asana practice in the morning, a brief rest and then a pranayama practice – David Williams returned to the USA where he taught such people as Danny Paradise and David Swenson: the Ashtanga yoga wheels were rolling.
Fast forwards nearly 15 years: Ashtanga yoga is becoming firmly established in the USA. There is growing interest in this athletic and physically demanding form of yoga. It’s 1987 and Richard Freeman – a long established Iyengar yoga practitioner and Sanskrit scholar – meets Pattabhi Jois on one of the now regular tours that he’s making to the west (he first visited the USA in 1975). Now I was 24: an anarchist rebel struggling against the state and on the cusp of the second summer of love when we would find ecstacy teaching the white man how to dance.
Long gone were the short trousers: it was about to be baggy trousers. It was also in 1987 when Derek Ireland and Radha Warrell first went to Mysore: Derek and Radha being among the most important individuals in the introducing of Ashtanga yoga to western Europe. Six years later – 1993 – and I would start regular attendance at a yoga class that subsequently became an Ashtanga practice when the teacher studied with Derek and Radha.
TRAPPED OR TRANSFORMATIVE?
For more than 15 years I have been practicing Ashtanga yoga: first in led classes and since 1999 in the self-practice environment with a certified teacher. This has been a journey: from straining to touch my toes to a practice that has a level of smoothness flowing through the poses. But what I am interested in knowing is if this practice reinforces or reduces neuroses? We are all neurotic to a greater or lesser extent: we all experience differing levels of unease which in the words of Carl Jung are expressed as “restlessness, vague apprehensions, psychological complications”. There is a similarity to the kleshas of yoga philosophy: a translation is “torments of the mind”. A contrast to the kleshas is ‘metta’ (sometimes translated as “gentle”): can our practices lessen the kleshas and increase the metta? Can there be a diminishing of torments and a growing of gentleness? Are we trapped in Ashtanga or can it be transformative?
Richard Freeman wrote “as yoga students and teachers, we tend to become attached to and prejudiced about our own school and methodology… consequently it is not uncommon to simply rest on the superficial levels of the school we consider to be our own”. Might this be true for us Ashtangis? These are questions that puzzle me – perhaps I am looking for answers in writing this piece.
One criticism that comes from those outside Ashtanga is that of its self-declared ancient origins. Pattabhi Jois claimed to discover the original postural sequences on banana leaves (sometimes it was said to be palm leaves) that were a few thousand years old. Conveniently these leaves then promptly crumbled to dust leaving no evidence at the scene. Often when Pattabhi Jois recounted this story it would be with a smile – and as has been documented in books such as ‘Yoga Body’, the origin of the Ashtanga postural sequence is probably more about 19th century physical health movements in Europe than distant yogic texts.
On the basis of this evidence Ashtanga has been described as “fraudulent deception”– which somewhat misses the point. An authorised Ashtanga teacher said “one of the reasons I got into this yoga thing was because I was looking for an alternative to the likes of the creationist Christians…now looking at it, it is as if the whole raison d’etre of practice is based on a similar creationist myth”. But the important point is that for Indian religions this method is a tested way of introducing new ideas into tradition. Rather than Pattabhi Jois being a fraud, in fact he (along with his teacher Krishnamacharya) were original thinkers attempting to adapt and update their tradition. This practice of introducing innovation into tradition existed for example in Tibetan Buddhism (see footnote 1).
THE TURN TO SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Far from being a fraud, Pattabhi Jois has been a significant figure in the western turn towards spiritual practices. The vehicle of Ashtanga has been a transmission belt for many people to enter practices they might not have considered. The athleticism of Ashtanga has been attractive to those who could dismiss yoga as navel gazing. Plenty of people have come to practices that they otherwise would have not been reached – which is great. Because in this western world (for all its material abundance and relative egalitarian openness) there is loss of meaning, there is breakdown of human community, there is lack of appreciation, there is unsustainable strain placed on environment. Cultures that were more contemplative have been replaced by absorption in distraction: rather than arts of storytelling we have fascination with celebrity and an endless parade of so-called information in the mass media. These are the anxious ages – though anxieties have been part of the human condition since the start of our species.
There is profound dislocation in modern society and not only are we dislocated, this is an unsustainable social structure. We are living out Easter Island (where they cut down all the trees and then civilisation collapsed) on a global scale. Despite the abundance, despite the great social gains of the last 150 years, this is our reality within the materialism of modern world.
That brings us back to the question: does Ashtanga yoga help in resolving such dislocations and this meaninglessness – in bringing us closer to places of insight and peace? For some people definitely yes and for some people probably no: because we are disparate individuals with our own storylines. So for one person Ashtanga can become a meditating in movement which creates ground for stillness and lucidity in mind. For another person Ashtanga is the basis for more striving, the struggling and the straining where we are simply replicating already present patterns in the fixation on postural success.
According to Richard Freeman “if you practice a system unwaveringly, something will remain unaddressed or unresolved and there is likely to be residue from the practice and some aspect of your life that remains unconscious”. We come to the requirement for paths to be plural – what can be problematic is that some people who are drawn to Ashtanga are the ones who might need it least: what could be called the type A success oriented personality.
PERSONALITIES
It’s these personalities – and there are many of us like this – who are easily caught in the ladder of Ashtanga yoga: climbing through the postures so practice just strengthens the wanting mind. One experienced student came back from a week retreat with a certified teacher stating “I was the worst practitioner there” – when the actual reality is that she has a strong practice. Ashtanga can be such a hard taskmaster with its narrative principally written by winners rather than losers. One senior teacher said “that’s why you get such good results” (which some would query). But how many have to be broken on the wheels of rigidity and dogma?
It is these wheels that can cause the failure to point out the obvious (such as jumping straight into chaturanga can damage shoulders, such as turning feet out for drop-backs can damage knees). The acrobatic aspects of practice does mean that the inherently flexible rise up the hierarchy of teachers more rapidly then others. Admired for their circus skills, maybe more essential aspects of teaching – such as personal integrity, ethical foundations, empathetic connection – are not as well developed.
This wanting mind means that we might be less likely to critique the way that these postures are adjusted by teachers: some adjustments are verging on brutal because of that drive to be getting further on through the sequence. There are the nightmare stories of over-enthusiastic teachers struggling to force round pegs of individuality into what could be viewed as the square holes of Ashtanga.
Too many adjustments have been done with too little awareness and rather than the body being a temple, it becomes a battlefield to be bullied into perceived perfect posture. How many authorised teachers have broken people’s knees in postures such as bhekasana or garbha pindasana – and certified teachers breaking femurs in Marichysasana B? And the many examples of everyday Ashtanga teachers causing injury through too much zeal, too much attachment to how a posture should be (and also of course making mistakes – that human fallibility).
CONDUITS FOR CONNECTION
But at the same time adjustments – when done well – are a powerful way of encouraging and enabling practice: showing us what is possible within the body, gently leading towards places where we probably thought that we would never arrive, a genuine conduit for connection. This requires skill and sensitivity to ensure that adjustments are not just a copying of what someone else has done: that the adjusting arises from a place of care and love. Because often this does not happen – at times when being adjusted I have wondered where is the love.
There has been no serious attempt made to study the rate of injuries amongst Ashtanga practitioners – there do seem to be a number of sensitive shoulders and sore backs. And those knee operations that are held up almost like badges of battle honours, the long-term practitioners who experience degrees of discomfort in their bodies. But it has to be noted that this applies to other yoga styles – two teachers (one teaching since 1985 and the other from the early 1990s) told me that as much as there are knee issues with Ashtanga practitioners, there are hip issues with Iyengar practitioners. Both of these teachers trained and taught within the Iyengar tradition before branching out.
There is anecdotal evidence of long-term intense yoga practice wearing out joints – though it could be said that so does life. If it’s all about sitting in padmasana surely something has gone wrong somewhere? And it’s not just about sitting in padmasana – in Ashtanga it’s sitting in padmasana always leading with the right foot. This might have been one of the straws that broke the camel’s back for a third series practitioner – she simply said “I got fed up with putting the right foot in first”.
ASHTANGA AS HEALING
Yet I know several people who have experienced significant healing from conditions such as cancer or chronic fatigue thanks to their Ashtanga practice. There are many examples of sick people getting better because of Ashtanga – practice definitely has the potential to be healing. One reason is that this strong stretching of the physical body can be highly therapeutic as there is releasing of held tension and a breaking down of emotional tightness. It is unquestionable that Ashtanga can be healing: but this does not mean that we cannot question the how of practice and encourage a wider perspective beyond physical postures.
And maybe one reason why it might have gone wrong sometimes is the arrogance that often attaches itself to Ashtanga. Of course arrogance isn’t solely reserved to Ashtangis: other systems and styles can be greatly arrogant. But within Ashtanga there can be an arrogance that accompanies a high level of physical proficiency – yet one of the few certainties in this highly uncertain world is that over time physical proficiency declines: so if there is an attachment to that, then inevitably there is greater suffering.
Two meditation teachers illustrated these difficulties: Tsokyni Rinpoche said “one of the pitfalls when hatha yogis use the body solely is arrogance” (footnote 2). Rigdzin Shikpo wrote: “physical yoga develops both power and feelings of power…the feeling of power that comes from the successful practice of yoga can be used to manipulate others…success in physical yoga can also produce pride…it takes significant effort to accomplish this kind of practice, although it’s nowhere near as difficult as working directly with the mind”.
This attachment to power and physicality could be called “the tantra of Ashtanga” – and it is true that amongst yoga systems, Ashtanga is one of the closest to tantric hatha yoga practices with its emphasis on breath, bandhas, drishti. There is an approach of sacred body which draws inspiration from tantra – but to balance dangers of over-attachment, tantric practitioners would live in charnel grounds to watch the decomposing of bodies: flesh rotting away, falling off bone, being eaten by birds and other animals. Maybe us modern Ashtangis could go to crematoriums and work in hospices as a reminding of the inevitability of physical impermanence: getting ever fitter or being botoxed will not prevent sickness, old age, death.
FLEXIBILITY AND INFLEXIBILITY
As well as this attaching and arrogance there can be inflexibility amongst long-term practitioners, which is ironic considering the levels of physically flexibility. The teacher verbally assaulting a student when they wanted to practice elsewhere – the teacher refusing to let one of their students assist another teacher – the certified Ashtanga teacher who said to a student when she asked if she could use a block: “no, that’s not yoga”.
Yet there are numerous examples of teachers acting with great generosity and kindness, encouraging and enabling their students, assisting other teachers to set up their own classes even when that is in ‘competition’ with them. These teachers being beacons on a path. However there is a tendency amongst some teachers towards controlling – rather than sharing, there is a reaction where behaviour is defensive and sectarian: blind faith might lead to blindness. This calls into question aspects of what we are practicing.
One suggestion for such behaviour is the sheer speed of the practice – holding postures for five breaths is an advanced form and the breath easily becomes shallow. Despite Pattabhi Jois’ instruction – according to Lino Miele: “teaching a long breath…a practice of ten seconds each inhalation, ten seconds each exhalation” – often the breath is much shorter. Research has shown that when shorter breath is combined with vigorous physical movement we go more into the sympathetic nervous system. It’s the sympathetic nervous system that is fight, flight, freeze – and here we become defended and individualised. In the parasympathetic nervous system there is much more ability to connect: that’s a system of tending and befriending, resting and digesting.
This suggestion that practicing Ashtanga could be pushing us into the sympathetic nervous system needs consideration. Fast breathing is demonstrated in Sharat’s audio CD of the primary series: each pose (not including entry and exit) takes about 20 seconds. With the five breaths in each pose this means that there are four seconds per breath which is an inhalation in two seconds and an exhalation in two seconds. The rapidity of this breath along with strong physical movements might be putting us into that fighting flighting freezing nervous system: where rather than openness and inclusivity, abundance and compassion there is control and rigidity.
Because isn’t a point of this practice to encourage openness and inclusivity, abundance and compassion? This isn’t a matter of adept physicality (if it was, then this is just gymnastics) – it is a matter of transforming consciousness so there is an increasing of insight balanced by loving-kindness. But sometimes it doesn’t feel like that within the Ashtanga box.
There is rivalry, there is competitiveness, there is lack of dialogue and defending of empires. Of course this is true of many aspects of life and it has been said that Ashtanga is just a mirror that brings up the existing tendencies. But a practice within Buddhism is that students are encouraged to spend time with teachers from different traditions which might help to undermine such tendencies. This is not so true within Ashtanga with its emphasis on “practice, practice and all is coming”.
SOMETHING’S GOING TO HAPPEN
But what kind of practice? Many Ashtanga practitioners just do the physical practice: that postural sequence. One practitioner told me how as he went through the third series he really thought something was going to happen when he got to the end: but nothing did. He then finished the fourth series – and still nothing happened: maybe that is the lesson in itself. His practice now is the standing sequence several times a week and a sitting practice. When talking about other teachers he said “I need to look inside myself and wonder if there is any animosity towards that person”.
This practitioner’s honesty was significant – in contrast possibly to others who are more in the realm of physicality. Because it is in stillness of sitting that there might be more possibilities for self-reflection and maybe growing of awareness. Ashtanga can help us to be aware and reflective but this ‘movement as meditation’ proposal which is presented by those who are only doing the physical practice could be lacking in validity for many of us.
We entertain ourselves with movement thus keeping the distractions at arms length as we stay addicted to stimulation. In the stillness and simplicity of sitting there are opportunities for observation that are not so present when we are moving. And if we are able to embrace the boredom of meditation it becomes more like equilibrium in which we could be free from that craving for entertainment – and our need to grasp happiness and fight discomfort is gradually relaxed.
As we move from pose to pose there is clearly a requirement for attention (a studying of body and breath) but we can just become fixated in this body and not go as deep within as a stillness practice might perhaps enable. As well as a lack of validity, this breaks one of the traditions that Ashtanga is upholding: the tradition that the physical postures are preparations for sitting and meditation – the sixth and seventh limbs: dharana and dhyana. In all the sweating and the striving of much Ashtanga these limbs seem to be have been marginalised.
I love the Ashtanga practice: I love the power that it gives to me – I love its flow and the concentration required for practicing: yet I feel that there is a lack somewhere. The fascinations with flexibility ignore the fact that we can have highly flexible bodies but tight minds. It’s often forgotten that for nearly all of us this brain is the stiffest muscle. The common failure to encourage practitioners towards other forms such as pranayama and sitting mean that Ashtanga stays as a sequence of physicality. And the intensity of practice lessens the probability that people will look outside the box (this can be a cult characteristic).
MENTAL CLEARING
A number of practitioners have said to me that they do not have the time to meditate. Obviously there are many demands on time: the childcare commitments, the struggle to survive in this world – but it’s about what we prioritise. Pattabhi Jois called meditation “mad attention” and he never taught anyone to sit. The truth is that it is much easier for us to ground ourselves in body instead of this mind that is so like a chimpanzee caught in a cappuccino bar: the busyness and things to do. But Pattabhi Jois also said “this is not physical practice, this is mental clearing”. At some point we have to investigate mind. We need to be reminded that “the purpose of asana is to tune our body in such a way that we can sit for long hours in meditation” (the words of SL Bhyrappa who studied with Pattabhi Jois in the 1970s).
Essentially when the perception is of primacy of the physical practice that means a prioritising of physiques over mind training. Obviously there is very significant overlap and an intimate connection between mind and body: but there are differences in techniques for body and mind. Norman Allen (one of the first westerners to be taught by Pattabhi Jois) was asked “how far do you think the physical practice can take you?” His reply was succinct: “in most cases probably nowhere without taking other steps”.
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche is the spiritual leader of Shambhala which is a network of Buddhist centres set up by Chogyam Trungpa. He studied with Pattabhi Jois and is an Ashtanga practitioner. He talks of the need to bridge gaps between meditative forms – some of which are called ‘Buddhism’ – and physical forms – some of which are called ‘yoga’. In describing these meditative forms Sakyong Mipham emphasised “to understand what is going on we have to stabilise the situation…we have to slow down and get a feeling of who we are and what we are doing…through the practice of meditation we learn to penetrate the confusion of our minds and our perceptions”.
We have our well-toned Ashtanga physiques but ultimately so what – where’s the liberation from conditioned existence when we can see the rope is actually a rope (far too often we think it is a snake), where we experience insight into phenomena and are connected to compassion?
SNAKES AND ROPES
Both Pattabhi Jois and Chogyam Trungpa would have very probably seen that the rope is a rope. Both came from places of having no students from outside their own cultures (South Indian Brahmin and Tibetan) to being enthusiastically followed by thousands of westerners. Both displayed an approach that has been called the trickster (this is meant in a positive way and comes from the words of Richard Freeman). As they went on there was a making up regulations and on occasion fooling their students to help the waking up process.
Yet as their spheres of influence grew there arose problems. One of those close to Chogyam Trungpa was Reggie Ray – in an interview he said: “He worked with us each individually but later his teachings were converted into this sort of step-by-step process with a somewhat rigid curriculum. We all relied too much on trying to pin everything down mainly because I think our community was so large and we couldn’t think of any other way to do it. I think this was a mistake because beginning in the later 1970s we were running things the only way we knew how which was to fall back on a lot of rules to try to preserve what he had taught”. (See footnote 3).
Having been in this box for a period of time, it is interesting to look back and observe the changes: from not touching my toes to folding flat forwards – from fearing headstand to standing on my head for a long time – from that first inhale to the young boy in short trousers to those baggy trousers and anarchist politics to now. By looking backwards we can understand how much change is present in life. An obvious example of this change was the death of Pattabhi Jois in May 2009 – the successor has been his grandson, Sharat.
INTERESTING TRANSITIONS
The death of the guru can be an interesting transition: the guru often feels free to make it up as they go along (there is freedom in being the guru while the disciples are more rigid). Recently there appears to be a tendency towards corporatisation of Ashtanga into a brand more like Bikram: an increasing strictness of sequence (Pattabhi Jois introduced postures into the practice over the years); growing emphasis on money-making (one practitioner said a two week teacher training in Mysore could have been easily condensed into two days – and 70 people were present each paying £1000 to ensure their placing in the hierarchy); moving towards studios that are centrally controlled.
Is Ashtanga going to become trademarked as a way of preserving control and maintaining income streams? Transformation might be evolving into a business – like Bikram (how many Rolls-Royces, Rolexes and law suits does one man need (see footnote 4)). How can we avoid the corporatising of a practice that promises liberation, the institutionalising of a philosophy that preaches freedom?
A question that has to be asked is whether we are being empowered as individuals – with qualities such as insight, kindness, autonomy – or are we being diminished and controlled? Part of the problem is that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. This is challenging work – but necessary for transformation: being aware, being vigilant, being awake. In many ways it’s much easier to just stretch this body and perhaps partially delude ourselves that we are on a spiritual journey.
DIFFERENT STROKES
Maybe it’s a journey that takes a very long time – BKS Iyengar said “the philosophical teaching came to me only after 1960” (about thirty years into practicing and teaching). But do we have the luxury of that length of time – especially when there are many calls for us to sit down and watch the contents of this mind, especially when we are at this stage of so much speeding up? This doesn’t mean enlightenment in one lifetime. What it does mean is that considering all current circumstances then stuff has to shift: are we shifting quick enough?
There was a Zen teacher in the 13th century – Dogen: when he returned from a long period of retreat, he was asked what he had bought back. His reply was simply “a soft and flexible mind”. That reminds me of a journalist asking the Dalai Lama “when were you happiest?” – the answer was “now”. Obviously both Dogen and the Dalai Lama had gone through very long periods of training but these responses – the soft and flexible mind, the experience of happiness right now – does show what might be possible: a lessening of unease, a greater ability to be present: not so neurotic. A young American – Alan Clements – who undertook a rigorous meditation training in 1970s Burma described his experiences as: “awareness put eyes and ears where there had been none…it enhanced perception and revealed greater nuance…sounds were accentuated…colours became brighter…tastes more subtle and sweeter…smells more fragrant…I fell in love with the simplicity of just being”.
Can Ashtanga help us to get to such places – my answer is “I’m not sure”. It can be a stepping stone, part of paths towards awareness – but too often it becomes too stuck, too rigid, too fixated.
WHAT’S GOING ON
Having examined to some extent this Ashtanga culture it is important to remember that there are flaws and failings within all traditions. The life expectancy of Zen monks in Japan is significantly less than average – another example of the harshness within Zen is when a student was experiencing the appearance of a nervous breakdown, the teacher told her “if you feel you’re dying, please die peacefully”. A long-term teacher encountered the rigidity within orthodoxy when she was informed by a meditation centre that “if you don’t give up walking meditation, give up your body movement that we hear you are doing, your mixing Zen practice in, then you are not belonging to our lineage”.
Some meditators can be distant and dry and disconnected – using the tool of meditation as an avoidance strategy to lessen engagement with living life. And in the Buddha’s own time there were splits within the community one of which (according to old texts) culminated in an assassination plot against him by a senior monk. Striving – and the consequent envy – occurs in meditative experiences as much as Ashtanga experiences. Someone recently told me that “I am jealous of my friends’ having sartori experiences”. I reassured him that he had no need to be envious of me as I had not had such events.
In this writing and thinking (it has taken two years to put together this piece) it is worth remembering words from the 7th century teacher Chandrakirti: “attachment to one’s beliefs and aversions for another’s view – all this is thought”. I am conscious that some of these constructs that have been used are just fleeting mental formations. This is human nature – as much as we breathe and we bend how easily we find division and discord. On occasion this has benefits but at times it is about building brands and defending empires.
What intrigues is how well certain paths serve a purpose in our practicing to be better human beings: a problem is that waves see themselves as separate from the water (and then there is that fear which arises from separation). A purpose of practice is dealing with this unsteadiness that one commentator beautifully described as “the mind is more than capable of seeing a stationary blue car and constructing out of it a six act melodrama”. A purpose of practice is to overcome our mistaken perceptions, to enable us to connect inside and outside so we can discover what many traditions describe as the luminosity of mind where there is insight and peacefulness: a brightening of the inner skies.
Some people get stuck and some people don’t: this vehicle of Ashtanga is a powerful transformative practice but all of us need to look at our practicing with an approach of curiosity. I am just one person attempting to make some sense of what is around me – like a young boy faced by the emperor’s new clothes I have to try to see with clarity. Hopefully this piece will deepen our debates and discussions about the meaning of practice. My own feeling about Ashtanga is great affection and respect – but there is much fixation on the external form. Rather than all the sweating and all the striving, practice as a gentle daily ritual with less attachment to asana could have more possibilities for deeper impact. A question for us as practitioners is – in the words of the religious scholar Huston Smith: are our practices “enhancing awareness, patience and generosity and enabling us to respond creatively to the complexities, distractions and uncertainties of modern times”.
I think that there is a requirement for other flavours on particular paths – you could call it a seasoning of path: because otherwise the path might be too tight where there is a tautness which becomes neurotic. The point is this self being less stuck so that in the words of a poet there is a realisation that “we are a process and an unfolding”. There aren’t any particular answers: it’s more how honest can we be with ourselves and how much can we temper that honesty with kindness. The hope is to keep questioning and to stay as open as we can: to feel our way towards a more easeful existence.
Thanks to all those who have talked to me and helped me along these paths.
Norman Blair June 2011
www.yogawithnorman.co.uk for more writings on practicing yoga and ideas of self-transformation. Norman108@clara.co.uk for any comments/suggestions/feedback.
38 reasons to practice yoga!
BEING HEALTHY – BEING HAPPY PRACTICING YOGA…
I found this and thought I'd share.. Micqui x
Well, we all know that yoga is (by and large) good for us – that’s what keeps us coming to the mat week after week. We know this from our own personal experience but here’s another thirty eight ways how yoga can improve your health.
- flexibility – quite simply regular practice improves flexibility – which can diminish aches, pains and poor posture.
- strength – strong muscles protect us from conditions such as back pain and arthritis.
- standing tall – letting the head be at the top of the spine (rather than forwards or backwards) is one of the great benefits of yoga.
- joints – by taking joints through their range of movement, it ensures that they stay open and healthy.
- spinal discs – like joints, they need movement to stay healthy – and yoga provides the movement that they crave.
- bones – weight-bearing exercises strengthen bones and helps ward off conditions such as osteoporosis.
- blood flow – yoga gets the blood flowing which improves circulation and gets oxygen to your cells.
- lymph lesson – by contracting and stretching muscles, the drainage of the lymphatic system is increased.
- heart start – by regularly getting your heart into the aerobic range, this lowers risk of heart attack and can relieve depression.
- pressure drop – studies indicate that practice of yoga (particularly savasana) can relieve high blood pressure.
- brain tendencies – as yoga lowers cortisol levels in the body, this protects the immune system, improves the memory and can diminish craving behaviour.
- happy hour – one study found that consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels.
- weight matters – move more, eat less: yoga is movement and it can encourage you to address eating and weight problems on a deeper level.
- low show – yoga has been found to lower blood sugar levels and boost HDL (‘good’) cholesterol.
- brain waves – studies have found that regular practice improves co-ordination, reaction time, memory and even IQ scores.
- nerve centre – yoga shifts the balance from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) to the parasympathetic system (calming and restorative).
- space place – regularly practicing increases proprioception (ability to feel what the body is doing and where it is) and improves balance.
- control centre – some advanced yogis can induce unusual heart rhythms, generate specific brain wave patterns and raise temperature of their hands by 15 degrees F.
- loose limbs – by relaxing the body (shoulders, hands, eyeballs…) we can diminish chronic tension, muscle fatigue, soreness in joints and stress levels (which can decrease number of bad moods).
- chill pill – yoga can provide relief from the hustle and bustle of modern life, giving a break for the nervous system and improving sleep quality.
- immune boom – physical practice probably improves immune function but the strongest evidence is for meditation in terms of supporting the immune system.
- breathing room – people who practice yoga tend to take fewer breaths of greater volume which is both calming and more efficient – and lung functioning is improved.
- poop scoop – yoga can ease constipation and twisting poses may be beneficial in getting waste to move through the system.
- peace of mind – yoga quells the fluctuations of the mind according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra: slowing down the mental loops of regret, anger, fear, and desire.
- divine sign – yoga can help us to glimpse that we are worthwhile: and a foundation of worth leads to feelings of gratitude, empathy and forgiveness as well as a sense that we’re part of something bigger.
- pain drain – yoga can ease levels of pain according to studies and when pain is relieved, mood is improved and there is less need for medication.
- getting disciplined – yoga can help to make changes in life: through the discipline of regular practice, we can become more disciplined in other areas of life.
- drug free – studies have shown that people with, for example, asthma take lower dosages of medication when they practice yoga, so reducing bills and minimising side-effects.
- anger attack – yoga and meditation build awareness which makes it easier to break free of emotions such as anger and hostility and increases ability to remain steady.
- good relations – a regular yoga practice helps develop friendliness, compassion and greater equanimity and this has a beneficial impact on our relationships.
- sound system – practices such as chanting prolong the exhalation which shifts the balance towards the parasympathetic nervous system (meaning more calmness).
- vision quest – contemplating an image in the mind develops the ability to guide imagery which can effect changes in the body.
- clean machine – from breathing exercises to gentle sluicing of nasal passages with salt water, yogic practices are cleansing for the inner body.
- karma yoga – serving others can give meaning to your life and your problems may not seem so daunting when you see what other people are dealing with.
- healing hope – unlike much conventional medicine, in yoga it’s what you do for yourself that matters: involvement gives you the power to effect change and seeing that you can effect change gives you hope.
- connective tissue – one of the great lessons of yoga: everything is connected, all is intensely interwoven, from hipbone to anklebone to community to world.
- placebo power – just believing you will get better can make you better, so if something facilitates healing (even if it’s so-called ‘placebo’) why not do it?
- the pleasure principle – because it can be so enjoyable: not always, but most times, taking our place and moving through postures and experiencing the body and maintaining focus can be enormously enjoyable.
This information has been taken from ‘Count on yoga’ by Timothy McCall (Yoga Journal January 2005)
Norman Blair
Thursday, 14 July 2011
2 binds in Mari D!
Another mini triumph this week with managing to bind on both sides in Mari D! It hurt, it hurts the top of my feet! But it's getting better, well, easier, each time I do it, and the more padmasana practice i do the less it will hurt I guess.
Backbends are no longer the horrible experience they used to be. I have so much more strength in my arms now and I've worked out exactly where to place my hands and feet to minimise any twinging in my right shoulder and to fire up the quads. I even do an extra backbend in my sequence now cos I love them so much!
I'm loving my practice at the moment, I think it's because I'm listening to my body more and more and learning what it can do when I'm in the right frame of mind. I just wish I had more time. I wish I didn't work full time and could fit in more practice! I will get there, I'm slowly getting the wheels in motion for working for myself, a new lodger is on the horizon for a bit more extra cash, and I'm going to be taking my first yoga classes in a couple of weeks time if all goes to plan..!
Backbends are no longer the horrible experience they used to be. I have so much more strength in my arms now and I've worked out exactly where to place my hands and feet to minimise any twinging in my right shoulder and to fire up the quads. I even do an extra backbend in my sequence now cos I love them so much!
I'm loving my practice at the moment, I think it's because I'm listening to my body more and more and learning what it can do when I'm in the right frame of mind. I just wish I had more time. I wish I didn't work full time and could fit in more practice! I will get there, I'm slowly getting the wheels in motion for working for myself, a new lodger is on the horizon for a bit more extra cash, and I'm going to be taking my first yoga classes in a couple of weeks time if all goes to plan..!
Sunday, 10 July 2011
My first attempt at a Ramaswami-style Vinyasa Krama Sub-routine
The Lotus Pose Sequence...(http://vinyasakrama.com/)
In an attempt to practice my newly found padmasana, I took Grimmly's (http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/) advice, bought Ramaswami's The Complete Book of Vinyasa Krama and tonight I did my first sequence... Well, it wasn't exactly the *whole* sequence, but, seeing as the full padmasana is completely new to me, I took it as far as my body would allow!
I warmed up with 5 sury a's and 5 b's, did the half-lotus subroutine. Kashyapasana is a bitch so had to use both hand on floor to hold me up although I think with time the use of bandha in this posture will reap me benefit. The bound twists (ardha Matsyendrasana) were lovely, really enjoyed those! The counter pose which is like a padmasana-ified purvottanasana (which I hate) I also found very difficult, but with every breath I let gravity do its thing and could feel my hips letting go which in fact ended up feeling great.
This leads to the full lotus posture sequence where I repeated entering padmasana vaying the entering leg, 4 times until my ankles started to really hurt (they're still not sitting *high* on my thighs which I think its the problem here). I had to keep coming out of the posture so missed out the next few postures and went into a forward bend and then utpluthih. By this time my ankles were really aching so changed to a half-lotus version and did some forward bends over each of the lotused thighs. From just doing this sequence my hips felt really loose and I had another go at full lotus which immediately felt better. I then had another mini-triumph and managed baddha padmasana for the first time ever! To finish I did a Matsyasana variation with forearms on the floor and tried to enter upward facing lotus, but as I lifted my hips I could feel a big strain on the ankles, so came out and entered savanasa.
Wow... If there is anything one could practice to deepen their lotus, this is the routine! Beginning to see the benefits of using vinyasa krama as an aid to open certain parts of the body and how this would benefit your ashtanga practice. Sometimes I just don't feel like battering my entire body with ashtanga, but do want to do some form of practice. Recently I've used a bit of yoga nidra instead, but really it's a bit of a cop-out especially when there's actually nothing physical which is stopping me from practicing asana. SO here it is, a new kind of practice which I can fit in around my ashtanga and which I think will open parts of my body which don't get enough attention during my regular ashtanga practice!
PS - Thanks Grimmly!
In an attempt to practice my newly found padmasana, I took Grimmly's (http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/) advice, bought Ramaswami's The Complete Book of Vinyasa Krama and tonight I did my first sequence... Well, it wasn't exactly the *whole* sequence, but, seeing as the full padmasana is completely new to me, I took it as far as my body would allow!
I warmed up with 5 sury a's and 5 b's, did the half-lotus subroutine. Kashyapasana is a bitch so had to use both hand on floor to hold me up although I think with time the use of bandha in this posture will reap me benefit. The bound twists (ardha Matsyendrasana) were lovely, really enjoyed those! The counter pose which is like a padmasana-ified purvottanasana (which I hate) I also found very difficult, but with every breath I let gravity do its thing and could feel my hips letting go which in fact ended up feeling great.
This leads to the full lotus posture sequence where I repeated entering padmasana vaying the entering leg, 4 times until my ankles started to really hurt (they're still not sitting *high* on my thighs which I think its the problem here). I had to keep coming out of the posture so missed out the next few postures and went into a forward bend and then utpluthih. By this time my ankles were really aching so changed to a half-lotus version and did some forward bends over each of the lotused thighs. From just doing this sequence my hips felt really loose and I had another go at full lotus which immediately felt better. I then had another mini-triumph and managed baddha padmasana for the first time ever! To finish I did a Matsyasana variation with forearms on the floor and tried to enter upward facing lotus, but as I lifted my hips I could feel a big strain on the ankles, so came out and entered savanasa.
Wow... If there is anything one could practice to deepen their lotus, this is the routine! Beginning to see the benefits of using vinyasa krama as an aid to open certain parts of the body and how this would benefit your ashtanga practice. Sometimes I just don't feel like battering my entire body with ashtanga, but do want to do some form of practice. Recently I've used a bit of yoga nidra instead, but really it's a bit of a cop-out especially when there's actually nothing physical which is stopping me from practicing asana. SO here it is, a new kind of practice which I can fit in around my ashtanga and which I think will open parts of my body which don't get enough attention during my regular ashtanga practice!
PS - Thanks Grimmly!
Monday, 4 July 2011
"Sprung up" to Utpluthih!
Finally, the rest from all the jump back and throughs, the work on opening the hips in all the lotus postures in standing and sitting has paid off, tonight I managed utpluthih for the first time ever! Yay! This is the first time in the life of my yoga practice that I got into what looked and felt like a proper lotus posture, my hips rotated outward and downward just enough to let the tops of my feet rest comfortably on my thighs and, thank god, not one twinge in my knees!
So how did I get there? Well, I have stopped all this jump back and through on every side nonsense in my home practice and have spent more time concentrating on 'opening' my hips. This has involved spending more time carefully entering the postures such as ardha baddha padma paschi, marichi a, b, c and d, and making sure that the knee is completely closed, the heel is brought high into the belly button then the hip is allowed to slowly rotate forward, out and down allowing for the top of the foot to sit on the thigh.
The extra breaths spent in these postures, coupled with concentrating on where I'm feeling the tension, has strangely enabled me to let go of any tension (or is it fear?) in the knee joint and the hips have consequently opened up. This has obviously had a knock on effect for the likes of kurmasana and supta k; and at the weekend I actually managed to get the feet behind the head (even it is was one at a time!)..
It was funny because I sat and thought about utpluthih for a couple of seconds (I normally just do crossed legs in the 3 final lotuses) and then thought, lets give it a go, and hey! There it was! I took a deep breath and thought am I going to be able to hold myself off the floor? And yes I could! All I can say is, it is a bit of an achievement and highlight of my last couple of months of practice. I might become one of these people you see sitting in half or full lotus on their chairs at work, just to keep working on it! I might give that a go tomorrow.
Whilst I know it sounds a bit sad, I kinda feel like a proper yogi now I have done a full lotus without having my knees somewhere round my ears! But I know it's not about that, it's about time and patience and man, have I given these hips of mine time and patience - 4 bloody years! My practice has got to a stage where everything seems to be falling into place and it feels good!
So how did I get there? Well, I have stopped all this jump back and through on every side nonsense in my home practice and have spent more time concentrating on 'opening' my hips. This has involved spending more time carefully entering the postures such as ardha baddha padma paschi, marichi a, b, c and d, and making sure that the knee is completely closed, the heel is brought high into the belly button then the hip is allowed to slowly rotate forward, out and down allowing for the top of the foot to sit on the thigh.
The extra breaths spent in these postures, coupled with concentrating on where I'm feeling the tension, has strangely enabled me to let go of any tension (or is it fear?) in the knee joint and the hips have consequently opened up. This has obviously had a knock on effect for the likes of kurmasana and supta k; and at the weekend I actually managed to get the feet behind the head (even it is was one at a time!)..
It was funny because I sat and thought about utpluthih for a couple of seconds (I normally just do crossed legs in the 3 final lotuses) and then thought, lets give it a go, and hey! There it was! I took a deep breath and thought am I going to be able to hold myself off the floor? And yes I could! All I can say is, it is a bit of an achievement and highlight of my last couple of months of practice. I might become one of these people you see sitting in half or full lotus on their chairs at work, just to keep working on it! I might give that a go tomorrow.
Whilst I know it sounds a bit sad, I kinda feel like a proper yogi now I have done a full lotus without having my knees somewhere round my ears! But I know it's not about that, it's about time and patience and man, have I given these hips of mine time and patience - 4 bloody years! My practice has got to a stage where everything seems to be falling into place and it feels good!
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Sthira sukham asanam...Asana is a steady, comfortable posture....
..Really?!!!
Now, I've been practicing yoga for 5 years now, and in the last 1.5 years practicing 4-5 times a week. I would say that I am dedicated to my practice, and if you asked any of my friends and family, well they would say the same (as they have to make an appointment to see me based around my yoga practice)!
OK, so I don't get out of bed at 5:30am and hit the mat; Sometimes if I feel tired, I'll make my excuses (to myself of all people??!) and bail out of my home practice; I'll sometimes begin my practice with the intention of a full primary series with full vinyasa and maybe, sometimes, half way through the seated sequence start to miss out the jump backs between sides and then the odd posture (normally post-supta kurmasana) and possibly just hit the finishing sequence. But in my mind, I'm dedicated to my self-practice.
11.46 of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras states that asana is a steady, comfortable posture. Maehle (2006) describes the meaning of the sutra as a posture must have the two qualities of firmness and ease. After describing the effects of the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances) he goes on to mention asana, posture practice. However, his description of the third limb he describes in just 3 stanzas, where others have a longer address. Patanjali, according to Maehle, uses two qualities that are diametrically opposed to describe posture: firmness and ease. If the posture is to be firm, effort will be required-contraction of muscles that will arrest the body in space without wavering. Ease on the other hand implies relaxation, softness, and no effort. Maehle contends that Patanjali shows that that posture cannot be achieved unless we simultaneously reach into these opposing directions. These directions are firmness; inner strength, and the direction of ease, which brings relaxation.
Now, my ashtanga vinyasa practice is, in my opinion, quite firm; as my body is gaining in strength, I am able to hold postures in correct alignment, I have become more flexible (although flexibility seems to be taking a longer time to build than strength); little by little my practice and my body is improving; little by little the first two limbs (yamas/niyamas) of ashtanga yoga are making more sense and establishing themselves into my life; I feel healthier in body and mind and less susceptible to negativity and fluctuations of mood, God, I'm even teaching yoga to others!
So why, if I am living my yoga practice, the restraints and observances, and the asanas, do I feel further away from 'ease' in a simple seated position, than I ever have before?! I've given up my free time for my yoga asana practice, I've given up meat, wheat, alcohol (there's a caveat to this one) even fat goddam it, but for what?!!!
I sat for hours this weekend at my yoga course... I've finished now, I'm home and I can hardly even sit in a damn chair without my hips aching! If I tried half lotus or even siddhasana now, I wouldn't last a minute! Some members of my family laugh at me as they did tonight when I got round my mum's for dinner, walking like John Wayne, and say 'Yeah looks like I really need to take up that yoga you're doing!' (I do find that funny btw - I haven't yet lost my sense of humour!)
However, I can't help but think that sometimes I should've skipped the asana practice and maybe gone straight for samadhi.....!
2 Ibuprofen and a glass of wine please.....! x
Now, I've been practicing yoga for 5 years now, and in the last 1.5 years practicing 4-5 times a week. I would say that I am dedicated to my practice, and if you asked any of my friends and family, well they would say the same (as they have to make an appointment to see me based around my yoga practice)!
OK, so I don't get out of bed at 5:30am and hit the mat; Sometimes if I feel tired, I'll make my excuses (to myself of all people??!) and bail out of my home practice; I'll sometimes begin my practice with the intention of a full primary series with full vinyasa and maybe, sometimes, half way through the seated sequence start to miss out the jump backs between sides and then the odd posture (normally post-supta kurmasana) and possibly just hit the finishing sequence. But in my mind, I'm dedicated to my self-practice.
11.46 of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras states that asana is a steady, comfortable posture. Maehle (2006) describes the meaning of the sutra as a posture must have the two qualities of firmness and ease. After describing the effects of the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances) he goes on to mention asana, posture practice. However, his description of the third limb he describes in just 3 stanzas, where others have a longer address. Patanjali, according to Maehle, uses two qualities that are diametrically opposed to describe posture: firmness and ease. If the posture is to be firm, effort will be required-contraction of muscles that will arrest the body in space without wavering. Ease on the other hand implies relaxation, softness, and no effort. Maehle contends that Patanjali shows that that posture cannot be achieved unless we simultaneously reach into these opposing directions. These directions are firmness; inner strength, and the direction of ease, which brings relaxation.
Now, my ashtanga vinyasa practice is, in my opinion, quite firm; as my body is gaining in strength, I am able to hold postures in correct alignment, I have become more flexible (although flexibility seems to be taking a longer time to build than strength); little by little my practice and my body is improving; little by little the first two limbs (yamas/niyamas) of ashtanga yoga are making more sense and establishing themselves into my life; I feel healthier in body and mind and less susceptible to negativity and fluctuations of mood, God, I'm even teaching yoga to others!
So why, if I am living my yoga practice, the restraints and observances, and the asanas, do I feel further away from 'ease' in a simple seated position, than I ever have before?! I've given up my free time for my yoga asana practice, I've given up meat, wheat, alcohol (there's a caveat to this one) even fat goddam it, but for what?!!!
I sat for hours this weekend at my yoga course... I've finished now, I'm home and I can hardly even sit in a damn chair without my hips aching! If I tried half lotus or even siddhasana now, I wouldn't last a minute! Some members of my family laugh at me as they did tonight when I got round my mum's for dinner, walking like John Wayne, and say 'Yeah looks like I really need to take up that yoga you're doing!' (I do find that funny btw - I haven't yet lost my sense of humour!)
However, I can't help but think that sometimes I should've skipped the asana practice and maybe gone straight for samadhi.....!
2 Ibuprofen and a glass of wine please.....! x
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
The Zen Dog...
..He knows not where he's going for the ocean will decide..it's not the destination but the glory of the ride!
It's been a while since I last blogged, in fact 18th April was the last post, scary how time passes... Since then I have done so much, done soooo much yoga and my practice has changed its form a zillion times in the meantime!
I could go on about my recent yoga holiday to the mountains of Portugal, and how good my teachers P & S were. I could go on about how they pulled me back from brink of yoga injury (AGAIN!), and how much they're simple but beautiful life in the mountains taught me so much about how I want to live my life; but I wanted my first post back on the blog to be simple and to just keep it in the moment, because as we all know, it's not about the past or the future but about the NOW.
So yesterday and today's teaching practice was lovely (I'm helping at 2 classes now), seeing how the students are coming along so well, especially the ones who have begun their journeys whilst I've been helping in the room. Still, it makes me smile and remember where I have come from since I began my practice, to see the struggle in attaining certain postures, losing the rhythm of the breath in the hope they will reach their toes...or what they believe is their utlimate destination... I must admit that I hate being "reigned in" by my teachers. And to be honest all of them I have practiced with have done it! Portugal was an experience, P reigned me in so much; stopped me from even attempting any "knee crushers" or any postures which put any ounce of strain on my still very delicate joints. I kept this up for a few weeks after, but such is the cycle of life I am pushing myself once again, because my knees feel good...for the moment anyhow.
How long it took me to realise I should be like the Zen Dog... to realise that the destination is actually non-existent (unless you're set on reaching samadhi or ultimate freedom from the restraints of our physical lives) and that for most of us it's about the glory of the ride, the experience of each day of the journey towards it which should be our objective. I think it was the experience of profound pain which allowed me to realise this truth, but obviously I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but I just hope that the students who I've seen grow within such a small amount of time will realise sooner than I did, to be able to truly enjoy the experience of each single yoga practice...
It's been a while since I last blogged, in fact 18th April was the last post, scary how time passes... Since then I have done so much, done soooo much yoga and my practice has changed its form a zillion times in the meantime!
I could go on about my recent yoga holiday to the mountains of Portugal, and how good my teachers P & S were. I could go on about how they pulled me back from brink of yoga injury (AGAIN!), and how much they're simple but beautiful life in the mountains taught me so much about how I want to live my life; but I wanted my first post back on the blog to be simple and to just keep it in the moment, because as we all know, it's not about the past or the future but about the NOW.
So yesterday and today's teaching practice was lovely (I'm helping at 2 classes now), seeing how the students are coming along so well, especially the ones who have begun their journeys whilst I've been helping in the room. Still, it makes me smile and remember where I have come from since I began my practice, to see the struggle in attaining certain postures, losing the rhythm of the breath in the hope they will reach their toes...or what they believe is their utlimate destination... I must admit that I hate being "reigned in" by my teachers. And to be honest all of them I have practiced with have done it! Portugal was an experience, P reigned me in so much; stopped me from even attempting any "knee crushers" or any postures which put any ounce of strain on my still very delicate joints. I kept this up for a few weeks after, but such is the cycle of life I am pushing myself once again, because my knees feel good...for the moment anyhow.
How long it took me to realise I should be like the Zen Dog... to realise that the destination is actually non-existent (unless you're set on reaching samadhi or ultimate freedom from the restraints of our physical lives) and that for most of us it's about the glory of the ride, the experience of each day of the journey towards it which should be our objective. I think it was the experience of profound pain which allowed me to realise this truth, but obviously I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but I just hope that the students who I've seen grow within such a small amount of time will realise sooner than I did, to be able to truly enjoy the experience of each single yoga practice...
Monday, 18 April 2011
"Welcome to Mari D!"
This past weeks yoga classes have been varied and lovely. I was taught Sivananda by my close friend K on Sunday at her home, it invloved her chanting prayers to begin then a real delicate practice, beginning with inversions but then carrying on working with all the different posture groups in turn, a bit like the BWY classes I'm used to. Really enjoyed it and great being taught by a friend too :)
I did my normal teaching practice on Monday but adjusting my fellow TT, which worked out nicely and I'm beginning to feel more comfortable being a bit more physical and it was nice to get some good constructive feedback. I followed this with a great energetic Mysore practice albeit with minimal revelation!
I practiced some hot yoga Wed and Friday, taking a break from Thursday's led ashtanga class to catch up with friends, nice break. Sat was my BWY course day, learning about basic breathing technicques - sounds tedious but actually very interesting!
But the best bit about my weekend was a trip to see a recently authorised ashtanga teacher, Shelley Osman, based in Essex. She's a buddhist too and a healer and just an amazing lady. There were just 6 of us in a room in her home, but it was lovely and really worked as a yoga space and very intimate. She teaches in the style of the old yogis where you are given postures when she feels you are ready, so no one in the room completed the series, but most got to Mari d then into finishing. Due to my knee issues I've stayed away from attempting any padmasana work since June last year. When I got to the seated postures I asked her advice and told her the problem and she asked I wanted to look at the postures together. She showed me a different way of getting my leg into padmasana which didn't involve the knee at all. What a difference it made. She had me binding in ardha baddha, mari b and believe it or not mari d was almost there too!
I was shocked that there was no pain in the knee and I kinda had a bit of an out of body experience being twisted completely into postures I have NEVER attempted before due to perceived knee issues. I was scared to death that my knee would just break in these bound postures, but just by breathing through it I relaxed, the fear disappeared and I managed to get through them. I'm not saying there was no pain elsewhere mind you, my ankles were bloody killing me!! I don't think I've ever had that much pain in my ankle before, (and I could hardly do a jump back after) but it was worth it! She had me do up to navasana then into finishing (thank god - i was shattered by this point). It still took 1.5 hrs. But Shelley explained that I needed to work on the maris, esp the padmasana ones and that should be my focus so my hips are open enough to do the rest of the practice. Even though I couldn't bind on one side in mari d she showed me a tip where you should hold your knee and let it fall in towards the other and just hug the knee whilst twisting as much as you can. But the most lovely tip Shelley gave me was that I just need to give my body "time and love"...
I did my normal teaching practice on Monday but adjusting my fellow TT, which worked out nicely and I'm beginning to feel more comfortable being a bit more physical and it was nice to get some good constructive feedback. I followed this with a great energetic Mysore practice albeit with minimal revelation!
I practiced some hot yoga Wed and Friday, taking a break from Thursday's led ashtanga class to catch up with friends, nice break. Sat was my BWY course day, learning about basic breathing technicques - sounds tedious but actually very interesting!
But the best bit about my weekend was a trip to see a recently authorised ashtanga teacher, Shelley Osman, based in Essex. She's a buddhist too and a healer and just an amazing lady. There were just 6 of us in a room in her home, but it was lovely and really worked as a yoga space and very intimate. She teaches in the style of the old yogis where you are given postures when she feels you are ready, so no one in the room completed the series, but most got to Mari d then into finishing. Due to my knee issues I've stayed away from attempting any padmasana work since June last year. When I got to the seated postures I asked her advice and told her the problem and she asked I wanted to look at the postures together. She showed me a different way of getting my leg into padmasana which didn't involve the knee at all. What a difference it made. She had me binding in ardha baddha, mari b and believe it or not mari d was almost there too!
I was shocked that there was no pain in the knee and I kinda had a bit of an out of body experience being twisted completely into postures I have NEVER attempted before due to perceived knee issues. I was scared to death that my knee would just break in these bound postures, but just by breathing through it I relaxed, the fear disappeared and I managed to get through them. I'm not saying there was no pain elsewhere mind you, my ankles were bloody killing me!! I don't think I've ever had that much pain in my ankle before, (and I could hardly do a jump back after) but it was worth it! She had me do up to navasana then into finishing (thank god - i was shattered by this point). It still took 1.5 hrs. But Shelley explained that I needed to work on the maris, esp the padmasana ones and that should be my focus so my hips are open enough to do the rest of the practice. Even though I couldn't bind on one side in mari d she showed me a tip where you should hold your knee and let it fall in towards the other and just hug the knee whilst twisting as much as you can. But the most lovely tip Shelley gave me was that I just need to give my body "time and love"...
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Jiva Mukti Experience
I have practiced 4 out of 6 days this week so far and one teaching class. My self practice was great on Monday, had lots of energy and sweat going on, vinyasas smooth and flowing. Generally, I'm working on supta K and managing to bind hands and feet, or hands and no feet or feet and no hands... depending on which way the wind is blowing! Also the back bends, these are becoming really strong; straight arms and straight legs...I've also started dropping back using the wall and coming back up which feels great. You can also use the wall as a measure to open the front of the body and upper back which feels awesome and completely different from the overarching effect I usually get in UD, from my hyperextended lumbar spine.
The only issue I do seem to have at the moment is straightening my left leg in upa konasana and kurmasana cos of my left hamstring.
Wednesday I had my normal hot yoga class, but it was so hot it was uncomfortable and I was so close to leaving the room, but chose to lie in it instead and missed out the whole of the cobra backbending sequence. I got home and realised I had given myslef THE biggest self-inflicted migraine, I was sick and everything, eurgh.... Kinda made me think twice about renewing my class pass. Or try to work out a new pre-post re-hydrating scheme!
Friday I had a half day from work and took at trip to London to visit some friends and to re-ignite my yoga tourism by visiting the Jiva Mukti Centre. I took a class with a teacher from the US who had taught in NY who was fantastic! The class was like a slo-flow, lots of lunges, warriors and hip openers. We chanted god knows what for about 15 minutes to begin the class then the music kicked in for the rest. The first sequence was opended by none other than Richard Ashcroft himself, with the Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony - not the type of yoga music I'm used to but hey, I kinda liked it!
I was looking forward to receiving what my friend K has gone on about for ages - an inappropriate application of a lotion on the base of your spine - but it was not forthcoming!!! I think I was the teacher out the corner of my eye applying the lotion to ther pupils, but not me!!! WHY?! I felt a bit left out!! Anyway, the inappropriate lotion aside, I loved the class and can't wait for another one. I'm also interested about the use of music in asana practice and will read up more on that...
The only issue I do seem to have at the moment is straightening my left leg in upa konasana and kurmasana cos of my left hamstring.
Wednesday I had my normal hot yoga class, but it was so hot it was uncomfortable and I was so close to leaving the room, but chose to lie in it instead and missed out the whole of the cobra backbending sequence. I got home and realised I had given myslef THE biggest self-inflicted migraine, I was sick and everything, eurgh.... Kinda made me think twice about renewing my class pass. Or try to work out a new pre-post re-hydrating scheme!
Friday I had a half day from work and took at trip to London to visit some friends and to re-ignite my yoga tourism by visiting the Jiva Mukti Centre. I took a class with a teacher from the US who had taught in NY who was fantastic! The class was like a slo-flow, lots of lunges, warriors and hip openers. We chanted god knows what for about 15 minutes to begin the class then the music kicked in for the rest. The first sequence was opended by none other than Richard Ashcroft himself, with the Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony - not the type of yoga music I'm used to but hey, I kinda liked it!
I was looking forward to receiving what my friend K has gone on about for ages - an inappropriate application of a lotion on the base of your spine - but it was not forthcoming!!! I think I was the teacher out the corner of my eye applying the lotion to ther pupils, but not me!!! WHY?! I felt a bit left out!! Anyway, the inappropriate lotion aside, I loved the class and can't wait for another one. I'm also interested about the use of music in asana practice and will read up more on that...
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